Stitching On Linens and Other Evenweaves
Linen may be an evenweave or an unevenweave fabric. Sometimes an unevenweave linen is used when recreating old samplers. For the purposes of this FAQ, we'll assume we're always discussing evenweave linens. Other evenweave fabrics are made of cotton, man-made fibres and blends. For a look at the "Aida vs. linen" debate, see section "1. Selecting the Fabric - Aida vs. Evenweaves/Linen". For information on the fibber content of different fabrics, see the "Needlework FAQ: Fabric". First, the traditional rule--stitch on Aida using a hoop and stitch on linen and other evenweaves "in the hand". In actual practice, people do...
The Right Side of the Linen
Does linen have a front side and a back side? If it does, should you care? The "linen has a front" camp: Over time, stitches done on the wrong side may become distorted. Pull lightly on the bias. The corners of the fabric will curl towards the front. The "linen does not have a front" and "linen has a front but it does not matter" camps: Some linen has a shinier side, but that is due to processing after the weaving is done. If an expert has trouble telling the difference, it must not matter very much. Weavers for one...